Yep. As another GOPer put it, it's a matter of pride to them now - they can't back down, because there's no avenue for them that allows for a graceful surrender. They went all in, the betting's closed, and while the Chamber of Commerce can issue side bets all it wants, we're in play now.

Yep. As another GOPer put it, it's a matter of pride to them now - they can't back down, because there's no avenue for them that allows for a graceful surrender. They went all in, the betting's closed, and while the Chamber of Commerce can issue side bets all it wants, we're in play now.

Yep. As another GOPer put it, it's a matter of pride to them now - they can't back down, because there's no avenue for them that allows for a graceful surrender. They went all in, the betting's closed, and while the Chamber of Commerce can issue side bets all it wants, we're in play now.

Disagree. The silence of the establishment GOP was taken as consent for a long time by the TP. Now, they're not silent anymore and openly defying the lunatics and letting the world know it. That's a big deal.

It's one thing to quietly let the sane GOP know that the CoC has their back. It's another thing entirely to make it into a public affair for the world, and the TP, to see.

What is that supposed to mean? The Bush family, for all its faults, wouldn't be on board with what the tea party is doing to this country. Even W. Daily Kos needs to give the Bush hate a rest and keep its eye on the ball here.

What is that supposed to mean? The Bush family, for all its faults, wouldn't be on board with what the tea party is doing to this country. Even W. Daily Kos needs to give the Bush hate a rest and keep its eye on the ball here.

The guy really getting burned by all this is St. Reagan. He's the one who assembled this coalition in the first place.

Yep. As another GOPer put it, it's a matter of pride to them now - they can't back down, because there's no avenue for them that allows for a graceful surrender.

There was never going to be a way out. The main goal of the Tea Party was to take down the government, and thats what their supporters told them to do... But now those members are a part of the government.

oops.

When you come to the table with the only chip you have is "complete destruction" there isn't going to be much negotiating to be found or compromise to be had.

Boehner's speakership is rather like Romney's and McCain's candidacies. No one would have Boehner as their first choice, but he's the only one (or the only one willing to subject himself to this) who satisfies just enough of everyone's concerns to be palatable.

There are Tea Party darlings and serious-type establishment Republicans, but Boehner straddles that line well enough to actually get support from both.

Null Pointer:So when the CoC backed candidates fail to win the Republican primaries are they going to then back the Democrat in the general election?

If not, then they can just STFU as they help create the monster.

They might not support the Democrat, but they are just as likely to not support the Tea Party candidate either. An extreme Tea Party candidate might lose the general, and it could be 2006 all over again. In the long run, this could work well for the CoC, as it means that they could get back to electing more obedient, and less crazy, Republicans. They might be willing to sacrifice one election cycle in order to restore order to their party.

This is assuming that the Tea Party will simply crawl back to insignificant, minority status. It's had a taste of power and likes it. And it doesn't really care whether it destroys everyone else in the process.

soporific:Null Pointer: So when the CoC backed candidates fail to win the Republican primaries are they going to then back the Democrat in the general election?

If not, then they can just STFU as they help create the monster.

They might not support the Democrat, but they are just as likely to not support the Tea Party candidate either. An extreme Tea Party candidate might lose the general, and it could be 2006 all over again. In the long run, this could work well for the CoC, as it means that they could get back to electing more obedient, and less crazy, Republicans. They might be willing to sacrifice one election cycle in order to restore order to their party.

This is assuming that the Tea Party will simply crawl back to insignificant, minority status. It's had a taste of power and likes it. And it doesn't really care whether it destroys everyone else in the process.

Wow. It's the plot of Portal 2 come to life.

Wheatley would be more competent at running the nation than is the Tea Party.

Is their job to fall on their farking swords? If so, it would make C-SPAN more interesting now that I can't seem to find Prime Minister's Questions.

/what good is a politician that's nothing else but?

All I've been hearing for the past week is Congressional Republicans putting party and career above their jobs. It's about pride. It's about being worried about losing in the next election. It's about saving face. It's about everything but SERVING THE farkING COUNTRY AS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.

Saw a Virginia "Don't Tread on Me" license plate this morning. Almost vomited all over the place. Didn't even know you could get those at the DMV. Tea party license plates??? No Democratic one's though allowed. Also they have anti-abortion specialized plates but no pro-choice ones. Backwards state.

I fear this, too. Unpacking a bit: The power of the GOP/Tea Party comes from the reality bubble in which its supporters live. If the establishment types start trying to support sanity, they'll just get pushed out of the bubble, not by any leaders, but by the residents. They're already trained to dismiss any source that contradicts TP dogma as "liberally biased".

So even if Rupert Murdoch himself made Fox News, the WSJ, etc. start trying to turn things around, those outlets would just get rejected, and the TPers start getting all their news from, I don't know, Brietbart, Freep, or something.

soporific:Null Pointer: So when the CoC backed candidates fail to win the Republican primaries are they going to then back the Democrat in the general election?

If not, then they can just STFU as they help create the monster.

They might not support the Democrat, but they are just as likely to not support the Tea Party candidate either. An extreme Tea Party candidate might lose the general, and it could be 2006 all over again. In the long run, this could work well for the CoC, as it means that they could get back to electing more obedient, and less crazy, Republicans. They might be willing to sacrifice one election cycle in order to restore order to their party.

This is assuming that the Tea Party will simply crawl back to insignificant, minority status. It's had a taste of power and likes it. And it doesn't really care whether it destroys everyone else in the process.

Yep. As another GOPer put it, it's a matter of pride to them now - they can't back down, because there's no avenue for them that allows for a graceful surrender. They went all in, the betting's closed, and while the Chamber of Commerce can issue side bets all it wants, we're in play now.

The GOP is used to getting us into messy pointless wars with no exit strategy and does not care about the body count (example: Iraq).

soporific:Null Pointer: So when the CoC backed candidates fail to win the Republican primaries are they going to then back the Democrat in the general election?

If not, then they can just STFU as they help create the monster.

They might not support the Democrat, but they are just as likely to not support the Tea Party candidate either. An extreme Tea Party candidate might lose the general, and it could be 2006 all over again. In the long run, this could work well for the CoC, as it means that they could get back to electing more obedient, and less crazy, Republicans. They might be willing to sacrifice one election cycle in order to restore order to their party.

This is assuming that the Tea Party will simply crawl back to insignificant, minority status. It's had a taste of power and likes it. And it doesn't really care whether it destroys everyone else in the process.